Fans of the San Francisco 49ers were subject to anxiety and boredom through three quarters. Until Brandon Aiyuk awakened Levi’s Stadium.
And the 49ers wide receiver pulled off one of the most ridiculous catches ever witnessed in the NFL playoffs.
“Are You Kidding Me?” NFL World Reacts to Amazing Catch
Down 24-10 and needing a boost, Aiyuk pulled off this momentum-shifter of a reception:
OH MY WORD!? Brandon Aiyuk are you kidding me??
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/JD6tw9M02f
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 29, 2024
A closer angle showed that the ball bounced off of Aiyuk’s defender, but the wide receiver still hustled to the ball.
Amazing concentration by #49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk on this catch 🤯
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) January 29, 2024
Here’s the importance of that critical reception: Aiyuk capped the drive by finding the end zone and cutting the 49ers’ deficit to seven.
Purdy to Aiyuk and we’ve got a one-score game!
📺: #DETvsSF on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/iJp4M8GPng— NFL (@NFL) January 29, 2024
But Aiyuk’s uncanny hustle deflection catch sparked quite the conversation on social media.
Brandon Aiyuk Catch Compared to Another Legendary Catch
If any NFL fan has witnessed something similar, it came from legendary Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Lynn Swann against the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl X.
Sure enough, some fans had flashbacks of the legendary Steelers receiver.
“That amazing catch by Brandon Aiyuk off the bobble was up there with some of the legendary catches by Lynn Swann,” one fan posted on X (formerly known as Twitter).
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Another fan also had flashbacks of that Swann grab.
“Some of you are old enough to understand this reference: That catch is on par with the Lynn Swann Super Bowl catch. Wow,” another fan posted.
Finally, Bay Area radio personality Bonta Hill of 95.7 FM The Game believes that the Aiyuk catch was not only capable of changing the tide of an NFC title game that was dominated by the Lions but should lead to something of a larger scale for Aiyuk in the future.
“Brandon Aiyuk’s post-season moment may lead to one of the most dramatic victories in franchise history. Pay that man!” Hill posted.
By the way, following that Aiyuk catch, the 49ers managed to knot the game at 24-24 entering the fourth quarter.
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